Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Director, Education & Inclusion Services, which provides the Cabinet with an update on the actions outlined in Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council’s (RCTCBC’s) Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for the period between 2017 and 2020 as approved by the Welsh Government (WG) on the 15th of March 2018. The previous 2019 to 2020 annual update was due to be the last annual update for this WESP, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this WESP has been extended to cover the period between 2020 to 2021.

The Director, Education and Inclusion Services provided the Cabinet with an update on the actions outlined in Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for the period between 2017 and 2020 as approved by the Welsh Government on the 15th of March 2018. It was noted that the previous 2019 to 2020 annual update was due to be the last annual update for this WESP, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this WESP had been extended to cover the period between 2020 to 2021.

Members were informed that Welsh Government had changed some of the regulations relating to the WESP, including the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (Wales) Regulations 2019 and the Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020. The two key changes in relation to the regulations were highlighted to Members:

·      The extension of the duration of the WESP from its current three year implementation cycle to a ten year implementation cycle (2022 to 2032); and 

·      The removal of the current duty on Local Authorities to plan their provision of Welsh medium education based on demand with the requirement that Local Authorities achieve targets set by the WG, which aim to increase the percentage of year one learners in Welsh medium education over the duration of the WESP.

The Director drew Members’ attention to the table at Section 5.2 of the report, which outlined the total percentage of statutory school aged learners who access their learning through Welsh Medium Primary, Middle and Secondary Schools and noted that RCTCBC had the highest percentage across each of the five Local Authority areas that comprise the CSC JES for the previous three academic years.

The Director advised that the majority of the Welsh medium primary schools in the County Borough of RCT currently have surplus places, which was currently 28.1% in Welsh medium primary schools. The Director went on to speak of the small capacity pressures within the Welsh medium primary schools and advised that the actions taken to address the issues were outlined at Section 5.7 of the report. An example of this was the Council’s commitment to invest £3.69 million at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar to provide a further 48 places. Furthermore, the Council had invested a further £4 million on increasing the quality and availability of early years Welsh medium provision co-located on primary school sites.

The Cabinet Member for Education & Inclusion Services thanked the Director for the Annual Report, which had been challenged by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee on the 27^th January 2021. The Cabinet Member was pleased to note the many investments made by the Council and in particular, the commitment made to early years Welsh medium provision, which enables progression onto Welsh medium primary schools.

The Cabinet Member was of the view that report clearly evidenced the Local Authority’s commitment to support the actions outlined within the WESP and to contribute to Welsh Government’s vision of one million people in Wales being Welsh  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54